Case Study 2
Ms. Kim is a 79-year old female who was brought to your office by her daughter-in-law. The daughter-in-law states that her mother-in-law has been very withdrawn, lost weight and is concerned that she is becoming demented. On history taking (provided by the daughter-in-law as translator) you find out that Ms. Kim immigrated to the US about 30 years ago with her family. Her husband owned a gas station in the local Korean-town outside the city and she worked in the small deli in the gas station.Two years ago her husband died after suffering a major stroke and so her eldest son took over the family business. Last year Ms. Kim stopped working at the insistence of her son. She moved in with her eldest son after the death of her husband.
Initially she was reluctant to move in with her son. She had her own social contacts/circle in the apartment complex she lived in, where there were other older Koreans. Every Sunday her husband would drive them 30 miles to the nearest Korean church they had been attending ever since they immigrated to the US. She is no longer able to meet with her friends and attend the Korean church because her son lives in another county and is not religious. During the day Ms. Kim is alone. Her son works at the gas station and daughter-in –law at a mortgage company. She rarely sees her two grandchildren. They are busy with school and after school tutorials. In addition, they don’t speak any Korean and so she has difficulties communicating with them.
